Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Williamstown’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for incomes. Williamstown’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, where New York’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 2 of New York’s 1,215 towns score higher on cost of living. Williamstown's schools rank behind 80% of the state's. 17% of the land in Williamstown is conserved, where New York’s towns sit at 5.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Happy Valley Wildlife Management Area, at 1,671 acres with 4.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Williamstown has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Williamstown beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Williamstown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 652 in 1820, a peak of 1,833 in 1870, 1,277 in 2010. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Williamstown, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Williamstown.
19% of Williamstown adults smoke cigarettes. Williamstown beats the New York average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 42% of Williamstown adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Williamstown | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Williamstown | NY |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 19.3% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.6% | 12.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Williamstown for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Williamstown has lost 94 jobs, to 147 in 2023. 5.1% of workers work from home in Williamstown.
| Williamstown | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5.1% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
14 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Happy Valley Wildlife Management Area | 4.3 mi | 1,671 |
| 2. Orton Hollow State Forest | 0.5 mi | 327 |
| 3. Kasoag State Forest | — | 1,041 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Williamstown has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Williamstown’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median rent in Williamstown is $788 a month.
| Williamstown | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $788 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Williamstown; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Williamstown residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
Where Williamstown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Williamstown.
Town in New York, United States
Williamstown is a town in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 1,277 at the 2010 census. The Town of Williamstown is on the county's eastern boundary.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $111,000, 79% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
3 notable people were born here, including Lot Smith and Harriette Taylor Treadwell.
